1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to hitches and in particular to couplings for mounting a trailer draw or towbar end onto a pickup truck bed.
2. Prior Art
It has long been known and in practice to provide a fifth wheel-type hitch for attaching a trailer draw or towbar end to a pickup truck bed. Examples of such type hitches are shown in Patents to Leland, U.S. Pat. No. 3,820,821; to Hodges Jr., et al, U.S. Pat. No. 2,925,286, both of which show heavy plates attached to a pickup bed that are essentially fifth wheel configurations.
Further, functionally like the above set out fifth wheel configurations, couplers that are mounted on and within a truck bed involving cups or cylinders wherein a standard ball is mounted for engaging and coupling to a plate that is secured across the end of a trailer towbar are shown in Patents to Ivy, U.S. Pat. No. 3,893,718; and to Stephenson, U.S. Pat. No. 3,574,363. None of the above arrangements, however, are like the present invention in a trailer hitch that does not include a ball type coupling or a recessed truck bed mount.
Other ball type couplings for use in connecting a trailer draw or towbar to a pickup truck are shown in patents to Schneckloth, U.S. Pat. No. 4,183,548 and to Taylor, U.S. Pat. No. 4,546,994. A mounting for a gooseneck type of draw or towbar that is supported to a pickup truck bed, is shown in Patents to Kann, U.S. Pat. No. 3,889,978. The Kann patent shows a telescoping sleeve arrangement whereby the trailer gooseneck end is telescoped over a vertical pin that extends upwardly from a pickup truck bed. A patent to Johannes, U.S. Pat. No. 3,790,188, where it also shows a gooseneck type trailer draw or towbar, involves a ball type end for coupling into a ball receiving hitch that is maintained to a pickup truck bed. A patent to Feterl, U.S. Pat. No. 3,972,541, like the above cited Johannes and Kann patents, also shows a gooseneck type trailer draw or towbar coupling, but involves a hook type coupling arrangement on the draw or towbar end that fits around a lateral rod that is part of the truck bed mount, the hook arranged to fit and lock over the rod.
Unlike the above set out Kann, Johannes, and Feterl patents, the present invention does not involve either a ball or hook type hitch. Rather it employs a latching plug for locking a pin of the trailer draw or towbar to a plate that is mounted to a pickup truck bed.